A Face in Florence
by Katiyana
Summary: A quick glimpse, then a longer look and his heart regains its wings. BW/SK


Title : A Face in Florence

Author : Katiyana

Summary : A quick glimpse, then a longer look and his heart regains its wings.

Note : I couldn't quite resist, though this tale has been retold in many ways already, bear with me and please provide feedback if you can. Thanks

Disclaimer : Not mine at all, just amazing characters I borrowed.

Alfred wonders why he even bothers now. He did this every summer when he was gone before. This time he is finally gone, he will not be coming back. There is not even anything left to bury. He supposes that he is getting indulgent in his old age. Fox says that Bruce is still around. All because the autopilot got fixed, months before the nuclear bomb went off.

Deep in his heart, there is still a seed of hope. That Master Wayne did escape miraculously. That his fantasy still has the potential to come true. He shakes his head slightly to clear the cob webs from his mind. Unfortunately he is still alive though he is unsure why his heart continues to beat in a steady rhythm. He would have given his life for Master Bruce but he couldn't do what needed to be done. Now he has to live with the legacy of the Wayne family and the knowledge that he failed.

Alfred thanks the waiter who arrives with his customary drink. He studies the little glass intently and then raises it sadly. As he brings the glass to his lips, his eyes wander around the cafe as they have done so often before. He does expect to see a head of dark hair that looks familiar to him. That is not new. In fact, he expects the experience grimly, knowing that he will fixate on that dark head and his mind will take flight with all sorts of dreams. Dreams that shatter unfulfilled as the man's face is revealed. It is never him.

Yet this time, it is not the back of a man's dark head that he sees. He looks and he blinks when he easily catches the eye of the young man gazing back at him with a dark steady soulful gaze. The dark head he can see the back of has her hair tied back into a simple ponytail. In a simple blue dress, with her hair in a ponytail, she looks incredibly young and unassuming. And so does he.

Finally his old heart feels like it is about to burst with joy. He has made it come true. In that instant, all the bitterness is washed away. His soul is renewed. He had not failed the Waynes after all. He had not failed Bruce.

Alfred is content to observe the easy interaction between the young couple, who do not need to wear masks now. They have both started anew and now so can he.

Alfred sips his drink and relishes its flavour. He basks in the warm glow of affection he can see in the looks of the young couple who are quietly conversing. They do not touch each other very much, but the very scarcity of their touches only serve to highlight the intensity of the connection that they share. They are together is every sense of the word, their bond was forged in fire and tempered in hell.

Bruce lifts his drink and nods a silent toast in his direction as Selina is momentarily distracted. Alfred understands. They will eventually meet again but not at this point in time. For now, this must be enough. Bruce is not yet ready to have any real contact with his former life.

Alfred is content, for he now knows for sure that hope lives and is not futile. It is a scant half an hour before Bruce and Selina start to make movements to leave. Alfred feels a momentary disappointment at the sight.

However, that evaporates with the blink of an eye. For as he watches, Bruce reaches out his hands to pull his beautiful companion up out of her chair. Alfred cannot help the smile that beams across his face.

He notes the glint on Selina's finger but more importantly the shape of her figure. The dress is beautifully cut to flatter her round belly and from what Alfred remembers of Selina Kyle, she was a very slim woman. There was no way to tell from behind.

But it is obvious in the way Bruce smiles at her and gives her a kiss as she stands up, with a smooth caress of her abdomen. Selina looks gorgeous and happy as she is led off laughing by her dashingly handsome husband. They are a beautiful sight together.

Bruce catches Alfred's eye again over his shoulder and his expression is peaceful and content. Alfred watches them walk away and his heart soars.


End file.
